Anti-Asian Racism in Canada Does Exist
Photo by Erica Li on Unsplash.com
And it’s more prevalent than you may think.
The recent events in the United States, including the killing of six Asian women in Atlanta, and thousands of reports of racist physical attacks on elderly Asian grandparents, has been filling the feed on every social media platform.
The outcry against anti-Asian violence comes after a substantial increase of attacks on Asian Americans over this past year - largely influenced by the misinformation and rhetoric used by political and media figures - that believe that ‘Chinese people are responsible for the COVID-19 pandemic.’
In many ways racism in Canada is just as bad - if not worse - that the U.S.
In September 2020, a grassroots organization called Project 1907, created by Asian women, dedicated to elevating marginalized voices, collected national data that shows Canada has a higher number of anti-Asian racism reports per capita than the United States.
In Vancouver, a 92-year-old elderly Asian man with dementia was assaulted in a convenience store. According to authorities, the male suspect insulted the victim by yelling racist remarks and shoving him outside the store, where he fell and injured his head.
While this violent assault took place in April of 2020, the Asian community has since been subject to the racial projections from the controversy of the Covid-19 outbreak simply due to the visible characteristics that classify them as a visible minority group from where the virus is known to have originated from.
“Canadians with Asian backgrounds are more likely to report increased racial or ethnic harassment against them.”
In a report released by Statistics Canada in July 2020, the agency wrote that the proportion of visible minorities who experienced an increase in harassment or attacks based on their race, ethnicity, or skin colour has tripled compared to the rest of the population since the start of the pandemic, however, the largest increase was seen among Chinese, Korean, and Southeast Asian individuals. Major Canadian cities have seen hate crime rates against Asians that are six and seven hundred percent higher than the previous year. In cities like Vancouver, where around 20% of the population identifies as Chinese, police have reported a surge in anti-Asian hate crime by 717% from 2019 to 2020.
The impacts of racism
In addition to Asian-owned businesses seeing a prolonged drop in business, this type of racist sentiment can have long-lasting mental health effects. Countless studies have found that experiencing racism is associated with poor mental health.
And even what some may consider a minute microaggression — a sideways look or subtle racist dig — can have long-term health effects. Can you imagine trying to do your job, or taking the bus, or walking your dog, or doing anything in public and feeling like you are a constant target? The ongoing stress of uncertainty and fear every time you walk out of your home - chips away at your self-esteem and sense of self-worth - and is painful.
"What has changed with the pandemic is people feel like people that look like me are responsible for the pandemic. Our communities have been scapegoated as being responsible for this virus and the ones who started this virus and spread this virus, and so that is something that we carry with us every day."
-Justin Long, Executive Director of The Chinese Canadian National Council, Toronto Chapter
Victims express shock and fear and worry how disinformation has amplified racial aggressions, scapegoating Asians for the virus. There are many who have not filed police reports, fearing they would not be believed and in some cases, have the police discriminate against them. In one incident, a victim said police were called after a racist incident escalated with her neighbours. After speaking to both parties, the police reminded her about freedom of speech in Canada. Baffled by the response, she considered moving back to Korea after spending 20 years in Canada. “I have sometimes faced racism [in Canada] but the experience of these past two to three months has been terrible.”
Where does this racism come from?
Despite the fact that hundreds of Chinese died building the Transcontinental Railroad - the product of some 20,000 Chinese labourers - Canada had an immigration policy that effectively supported hate against alienated Chinese. July 1, the day we know as ‘Canada Day’ is also known as “Humiliation Day” for Chinese Canadians. On July 1, 1923, the Chinese Immigration Act or ‘Chinese Exclusion Act’ was passed. The law stopped all Chinese immigration into Canada and divided hundreds of families for years and was not repealed until 1946.
Japanese internment camps during World War II, as well as the lack of post-war efforts to address the injustices committed within those camps, further exemplify Canada’s racist history with Asian populations.
The prejudiced stereotypes of Asians being “disease-carrying individuals,” were present during the SARS outbreak of 2003 and have persisted into the novel coronavirus outbreak we are currently undergoing.
While the current government isn’t passing these kinds of laws to keep the Chinese or other Asians out of Canada, it is no surprise that this racist history continues to reveal itself through the behaviours and actions motivated by hate against Asian communities within our country.
But why are people racist?
There are many reasons why people can have racist attitudes but there are no excuses for racism.
A lot of these attitudes are shaped when we are young. When our family members or friends express racist language and opinions, it is common that we will take on those views ourselves. The problem is that, unless we do something about it, these views can stay with us for a lifetime.
It’s normal to want to spend time with people that have the same interests, background, culture and language. It creates a sense of belonging that is really important. The downside is that it can also set up differences between other groups and, over time, this might lead to us to thinking that our group is better than others.
When we feel angry or frustrated, we often look for someone else to blame for our problems. As a community, we can do the same thing. People who look or talk differently to us are an easy target. You can hear it happening today in comments like, “those people take our jobs” or “they get government handouts all the time”. Nearly all the time, these statements are wrong.
Fear is the ultimate cause of racism. We fear what we do not know or understand. We fear what is ‘different’ from ‘us’ or the perceived ‘norm’. We may not be able to control what we fear, but we can control our responses to that fear. It’s unfortunate that fear translates so often into resentment, hate and violence towards others.
What can you do?
Pointing fingers in a situation is easy to do. However, this blame has drastically hurt a community, physically, mentally, and economically. Xenophobia has ravaged the Asian community and has made Asian Canadians feel unsafe and to blame. The only way to change racist bias is to change ‘what is acceptable in society’. But to challenge deep seeded prejudices that shape our behaviour, to unlearn our implicit biases, we need to challenge ourselves first.
Learn about and support mental-health resources: One of the major effects of rising anti-Asian discrimination is worsening mental health. If you or someone you care about is struggling, consider a counselling service such as Kids Help Phone or advocacy groups like the Asian Mental Health Collective.
Learn about your local equity policies: Provincial and municipal governments have their own policies for combatting hate, but it can sometimes take a bit of research to report incidents or seek redress. Check your city government’s website or ask your elected representative to learn more.
Be a better bystander: Of the hate incidents recorded last year, most were in businesses or public streets, places where bystander intervention can make a big difference if done safely and effectively. From small remarks to blatant targeted violence, we must put an end to these hate crimes.
Whatever it is, we’re here for you.
Life is uncertain. Jobs are stressful. Parenting is hard. Relationships take work. Families can be dysfunctional. And, sometimes love hurts. When you’re confronted by feelings, events, or issues that are making your life challenging, it’s okay to ask for some help.
SOURCES:
Slice Here’s How I Feel Being Asian in Canada in 2021
CTV News Reports of Anti-Asian hate crimes are surging in Canada during the COVID-19 pandemic
The Globe and Mail Anti-Asian violence is on the rise in the U.S. and Canada. Here’s what you need to know
CBC News Survey finds more than 1,000 self-reported incidents of anti-Asian racism since start of pandemic: report
The Medium The rise of anti-Asian attacks in Canada and other parts of the world
Huffington Post In 2021, Asian Canadians Document Hate Crimes To Be Believed
Refinery 29 A Year into COVID, Anti-Asian Racism in Canada Continues to Spread
